Harlan Haus Brings Steins & Schnitzel To Downtown Bridgeport

Harlan Haus will feature a number of local craft brews.Photo Credit: ContributedHarlan Haus will open to the public at 5 p.m. Wednesday.Photo Credit: ContributedDiners can expect all manner of wursts at Harlan Haus in downtown Bridgeport.Photo Credit: ContributedHarlan Haus has preserved several of the original features of the former People's Bank location.Photo Credit: ContributedHarlan Haus will offer up local craft beers and a European-style menu with touches of Southern BBQ.Photo Credit: Contributed

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BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — The countdown is on for the much-anticipated Harlan Haus, a German-style beer hall opening in downtown Bridgeport on Wednesday evening.

The grand opening is scheduled from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the former People’s Bank building at 155 State Street.

The team that brought you Harlan Publick in Norwalk and Harlan Social in Stamford had originally hoped to open in the fall, but delays put the big day off a few months.

“We cannot thank you enough for your patience, and we hope you’re ready,” read a post on the restaurant’s Facebook page.

The restaurant was open for a private event Saturday and all signs point to a successful public opening on Wednesday.

Like a traditional German beer hall, Harlan Haus will serve up pretzels, schnitzel and all manner of wursts. But it will also feature two premium German beers and a host of local craft beers on rotation.

The 7,000-square-foot eatery joins the McLevy Square Apartments, which opened a couple doors up the block in September. A comedy club called The Stress Factory is planned for the former Playhouse on the Green between the two.

The much-anticipated beer hall incorporates many of the building’s historic features, including a curved teller bank wall.

The menu is European style “infused with Southern barbecue,” according to Brandon Hall, a principal with the developers. The Harlan Burger with cheddar ale sauce and bacon onion jam is expected to be a standout.

The Stress Factory will be nestled between the apartments and the restaurant at 167 State Street. Owner Vinnie Brand has been operating The Stress Factory in New Jersey for more than 20 years, welcoming the likes of Chris Rock, Drew Carey, Artie Lang and Jim Breuer to that location.